Planning ranges
| Scope | Range | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-home cosmetic update | $150,000 – $300,000 | Flooring, paint, trim, lighting, kitchen and bath refreshes, no layout or systems changes (~$100–$150/sq ft) |
| Full renovation | $300,000 – $600,000 | New kitchen and bathrooms, some layout changes, partial systems upgrades, new finishes throughout (~$150–$300/sq ft) |
| Gut renovation | $600,000 – $1,000,000+ | Strip to structure, full rewire and replumb, new HVAC, structural changes, all-new finishes (~$400–$600+/sq ft) |
Source guide updated 2026-11-03. Confirm the current scope and pricing in your estimate.
What changes the cost?
Structural and layout changes
Removing load-bearing walls, new beams, and reworked stairs add $20,000–$80,000+ with engineering
Systems replacement
Full rewire, replumb, and new HVAC on an older house together run $40,000–$80,000
Permits and drawings
City of Toronto permits, architectural drawings, and engineering typically add 5–10% of construction cost
Older-home surprises
Knob-and-tube wiring, asbestos-era materials, and foundation issues are routine in pre-1960s Toronto homes
Condo vs house
Whole-unit condo renovations face board approvals and hour restrictions, adding 10–20% to labour
HST
Ontario's 13% HST applies to labour and materials, so a $400,000 project carries roughly $52,000 in tax
Renovation cost per square foot in Toronto
The three tiers above, worked out per square foot and for two common house sizes. Add drawings and permits, contingency and HST on top, as set out under “How to budget” below.
| Tier | Per square foot | 1,500 sq ft home | 2,000 sq ft home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-home cosmetic update | $100 to $150 | $150,000 to $225,000 | $200,000 to $300,000 |
| Full renovation | $150 to $300 | $225,000 to $450,000 | $300,000 to $600,000 |
| Gut renovation | $400 to $600+ | $600,000 to $900,000+ | $800,000 to $1,200,000+ |
A finished basement is priced on its own scale: about $35 to $55 per square foot for a basic finish and $55 to $75 with a bathroom. See the basement renovation cost guide.
What each tier actually includes
A whole-home cosmetic update keeps the plan and the systems. New flooring, paint, trim, doors, lighting and refreshed kitchens and baths. Typical GTA ranges in 2026 start around $100–$150 per square foot.
A full renovation is the middle path most Toronto families take: a new kitchen, new bathrooms, some walls moved, partial electrical and plumbing upgrades, and new finishes everywhere. Expect $150–$300 per square foot, or $300,000–$600,000 on a typical house.
A gut renovation strips the house to structure. Full rewire, full replumb, new HVAC, new insulation to current code, structural changes, and every finish new. On Toronto’s older housing stock this runs $400–$600+ per square foot, and pre-1960s semis routinely total $750,000 or more.
What drives cost in Toronto specifically
Toronto’s housing stock is old, and old houses hide their condition. Knob-and-tube wiring is still live behind plaster in many pre-1950s homes and must be replaced. Asbestos-era materials show up in plaster, flooring and duct wrap and require controlled removal. Brick foundations may need repair, and if the plan includes a usable basement, underpinning is its own $50,000–$100,000+ project.
Then there is process. Structural changes need engineered drawings and City of Toronto permits, which take months, not weeks. Committee of Adjustment approval adds more time if you are changing the building envelope. None of this is optional, and rushing it is how projects stall mid-build.
Main floor and basement together: a typical case
Many full home projects are really two jobs: the main floor and the basement. Doing them together means one set of drawings, one permit application in most cases, and plumbing, ductwork and wiring that run between the floors done once. Here is how the tiers add up for a 1,000 sq ft main floor at the full renovation tier and a 1,000 sq ft basement finished with a bathroom.
| Basis | Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Main floor, full renovation | 1,000 sq ft at $150 to $300 | $150,000 to $300,000 |
| Basement, finished with a bathroom | 1,000 sq ft at $55 to $75 | $55,000 to $75,000 |
| Construction subtotal | $205,000 to $375,000 | |
| Drawings, engineering and permits | 5% to 10% | about $10,000 to $37,500 |
| Contingency | 15% | about $32,000 to $62,000 |
| HST | 13% | about $32,000 to $62,000 |
| All in | about $280,000 to $540,000 |
Where your house lands in that range depends on how much of the main floor changes, whether walls move, the state of the wiring and plumbing, and the finishes you choose. For the order of work and how to live at home through it, read renovating the main floor and basement together.
How to budget
Work backward from the per-square-foot tier, then add three layers: 5–10% for drawings, engineering and permits, then 15% contingency because at this scale surprises are a certainty, then 13% HST on everything. Add temporary housing if you cannot live through construction. If the total makes you uncomfortable, cut scope before you cut quality. A smaller project done properly beats a big one done thin.
When the cheap quote is the expensive one
On a full home renovation, a lowball quote is a structural risk, not just a financial one. Quotes hundreds of thousands apart are not pricing the same project: one includes engineering, permits, ESA inspections and realistic allowances. The other assumes nothing goes wrong in a 70-year-old house. Mid-project “extras” on an underpriced job routinely erase the savings, and unpermitted structural work becomes your problem at resale. Compare scope, not just totals.
Getting a fixed YAREX estimate
YAREX Renovation & Restoration is a licensed and insured contractor based in Etobicoke, serving the GTA. For full home projects we start with a detailed walkthrough, flag the age-of-home risks before pricing, coordinate drawings and permits, and deliver a free written estimate broken down by phase, so you can make the renovate-or-rebuild call with real numbers.
Your next step
A per-square-foot rate is a starting point. Your number comes from the house itself. See how a full home renovation runs with YAREX, then book a free walkthrough: we walk the house with you, flag the age-of-home risks and send a written estimate broken down by phase. Or call (343) 947-2298.
Planning the work
See what the full home renovation service includes, how the work runs and what to ask before you start.
Full Home Renovation in Toronto & Etobicoke